ASUS A88X-PRO Bios Issues

[larhome]

I am just getting ready to install Win 7 on my new ASUS A88X PRO.
I did the normal top of cardboard box setup just to be sure every thing worked.
In the Bios i noticed something rather odd.

UEFI BIOS Utility - Advanced Mode Advanced\ SATA Configuration > SATA Configuration OnChip SATA Channel Enabled OnChip SATA Type AHCI SATA Port 5.6.ESATA 7,8 AHCI ???? If Port 5,6 and ESATA 7,8 Port are configured as AHCI or RAID, the ports can only be used under OS with driver installed. Set to IDE instead of AHCI or RAID to access devices on Port 5,6 and ESATA 7,8 before entering OS.

For Example: I currently use a Easeus Todo 6 boot disc to restore or replace C:\ drive using the image stored on external hard drive using Esata port 7 . Does this mean that I need to set ports 5-8 as IDE ?

[- wardog -]

To use Easus in the pre-OS environment, I would assume you need to set as IDE as I doubt Easus has any AHCI storage drivers it itself loads to access those ports in AHCI mode.

According to the manual(Sec 3.5.2), once you toggle the "SATA Port 5.6.ESATA 7,8" to AHCI you are also offered directly below the option "SATA Port 5 - Port 6" set to either AHCI or IDE??

[larhome]

Follow up:
Paul of EaseUS Support Team said:
Normally, there is no problem to boot when using AHCI mode.
If it does not work, then the drivers for the specified device would not be
included, you can then change to IDE instead.

2014/4/20 23:52
I am setting up a new PC and I need to set the SATA ports as either AHCI
or IDE. -See Jpg-
Does the Win PE boot disc provide drivers for booting using AHCI ?
Or should I set All ports as IDE in order to boot from Win PE ?
I plan to use both Sata port2 and Esata port7 for image backups and Restore.

It looks like I will have to install Windows 7 and EaseUS Todo Backup Home 6
and test those ports that I will plan to use for imaging myself..
As you know this program uses the Win PE boot disc which is part of the 1.1 GB download of
MS AIK. So I do not know if that will have the needed AHCI drivers.

I do have one more question concerning loading Windows 7 Home Premium.
If I set all SATA ports as AHCI will I need to inject the AHCI drivers and if so where do
I find them ?

[- wardog -]

Boy, for simplicities sake I don't have much to offer with this other than to follow the KISS principle.

You're probably going to install the OS and do a backup and restore one or more times to find what works simply for you.

Otherwise, assuming Easus/WinPE chokes, you'll need to "inject' the AHCI drivers into WinPE.

[larhome]

I will install using All SATA ports set to AHCI in the BIOS.
I will install Win 7 but not register serial at ths tme
I will load image program and build the Win PE disc
I will make a image inside of windows using the program itself.
Finally Boot using that disc and see if I can Access all ports .
If this fails I will have to change all Sata ports to IDE and start over.
But it is better to find out now then to make 20 or more image files and
then find out that you can't Restore Image from boot.

[- wardog -]

But it is better to find out now then to make 20 or more image files and
then find out that you can't Restore Image from boot.

Exactly. Test and confirm. I've read too many posts where people are asking for help after they need(discover!) the backup plan they've been blindly relying on for months now doesn't/isn't allowing a restore to take place.

Test and confirm.